Bob Vylan's Stance on Glastonbury IDF Chant: "No Regrets"
The frontman of Bob Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at Glastonbury and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
Controversial Chant and Political Reactions
This outspoken punk pair sparked significant controversy when they initiated crowd calls of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their summer set. This chant was condemned by festival organizers and Britain's leader Keir Starmer, who described it as "appalling hate speech."
After the incident, Bob Vylan was dropped by its representation UTA, and the US government cancelled the members' travel documents, compelling the duo to call off a planned North American tour.
Conversation with Louis Theroux
In his initial interview after the Glastonbury performance, the musician, using his real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. When questioned if he would repeat his actions, he replied:
"Absolutely. For instance suppose I was to go on the festival again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm without regret of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
He noted that the criticism the band encountered was "small compared to what people in Palestine are going through."
On the Chant's Importance
"I aim not to overstate the significance of the chant," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but if I have their backing, they're the people that I'm doing it for, these are the people that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've angered some rightwing politician or some rightwing news outlet?"
Unexpected Reaction and Broadcaster Feedback
This artist claimed he was surprised by the outcry sparked by the chant, and stated that staff of BBC staff at the event told him on the same day that the performance was "fantastic."
Yet, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit subsequently found that the network's broadcast of the show breached content guidelines in relation to offense and offence.
He told the host there was no sign of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everybody was like [shocked]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It was normal. No one suspected anything. Not a soul. Including staff at the BBC were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"
Response to Blur Frontman
Vylan also hit back at Damon Albarn, who called the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described Vylan as "goose-stepping in sport gear."
His comment was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan remarked.
"I need to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that in some way the politics of the duo or our stance on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he stated.
"I strongly object with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's typically associated around Nazi Germany," he added. "That's it. And for him to use that language, I think is disgusting. I think his response was disgusting."
Intent Behind the Slogan
After asked what he meant by the chant "Down with the IDF," the artist said the slogan itself was "insignificant."
"The key issue is the conditions that persist to permit that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that are present in the region. In which the Palestinian population are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the slogan?" he stated.
"Death to the IDF rhymes," he added: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, right? … We are there to perform. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Ideal chant."
Rejection of Hate Speech Allegations
Vylan also denied claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their performance contributed to a spike in anti-Jewish events reported two days.
"I believe I have created an hostile environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were large numbers of individuals acting and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he said.
Comparison with Different Artists
As he said he thought the duo had been targeted more heavily than different artists for speaking about the conflict, the host brought up the Irish band Kneecap, who have also encountered criticism for their approach to pro-Palestinian advocacy.
"That's a notable point," Vylan responded, "since as with everything ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an more convenient target, no pun intended, than others are because we are inherently the enemy."